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Immigrants' Rights Center (IRC) Legal Clerkship

Location: Anaheim, CA

About Us: The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) is the largest American Muslim civil rights organization at the frontlines of protecting the rights of free speech, to freely practice one's faith, to pursue employment opportunities without harassment, and to live as an active and engaged American without reprisal. The Council on American-Islamic Relations, California (CAIR-CA) is a nonprofit 501(c)(3), grassroots civil rights and advocacy group.

About the Clerkship: The Greater Los Angeles Area office of CAIR-CA (CAIR-LA) provides clerkship opportunities to dynamic law students with an established commitment to public interest and social justice advocacy. CAIR-LA's legal clerkships are offered in either the Civil Rights Department or the Immigrants' Rights Center (IRC). Clerkships are offered in the Summer and may also be offered in the Winter/Spring and Fall depending on the legal department's needs.

CAIR-LA's IRC seeks to empower non-citizens by helping them achieve some form of legal status or protection from deportation and the opportunity to fully participate in American society. IRC provides high-quality legal services to individuals otherwise unable to obtain immigration assistance.

IRC clerks will be exposed to a wide range of requests for immigration relief heard before US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) and the Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR). As immigration law undergoes rapid and sweeping changes, immigrants' rights clerks will obtain hands-on experience advocating on behalf of immigrants and handling current hot-button immigration issues.

Under the supervision of our attorneys, clerks in both programs will have the opportunity to build cases from the ground-up, including conducting client interviews; making initial case assessments; obtaining evidence; conducting legal research; drafting client communications and legal memoranda; and performing community outreach and education. The specific types of assignments given to clerks will depend on current department needs.

Clerkship Terms: Clerkships are typically ten-weeks long during the Summer term and eight to ten weeks for the Fall and Winter/Spring terms. Applications are accepted during the time windows outlined below. All positions are unpaid. Clerks are expected to commit to at least 15 hours a week during Winter/Spring and Fall terms, and 40 hours a week during the Summer term. Clerks may receive course credit, depending on their law school's program.

Winter/Spring clerkships typically run from January to April. Applications for this clerkship are accepted from September to December.

Summer clerkships typically run from June to August. Applications for this clerkship are accepted from January to May.

Fall clerkships typically run from August/September to December. Applications for this clerkship are accepted from June to August.

Qualifications: Applicants for the clerkship should have completed at least one year of law school and have taken at least one semester of legal research or writing. Candidates should demonstrate a commitment to and passion for public interest advocacy and addressing issues impacting the civil rights of the American-Muslim and immigrant communities. The ideal clerk will demonstrate a commitment to public interest advocacy and will be a highly motivated, organized, and detail-oriented individual with strong time management skills.

To Apply: Please submit (1) a cover letter discussing your interest in the clerkship, which term you are applying for, and your preference of a clerkship in civil rights or the IRC; (2) your resume; (3) a writing sample; and (4) a copy of your most up to date law school transcript.

Equal Employment Opportunity: CAIR-CA is passionately committed to Equal Employment Opportunity and to compliance with all Federal, State, and local laws that prohibit employment discrimination based on age, race, color, gender, religion, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, and other protected classifications.